Welcome to the 2022 Fish for the Blue fishing tournament! Our goal with this tournament is to raise money for the immediate family of Detective Jimmy West, that unexpectedly passed away from medical issues on November, 1st, 2022. His wife, Michele, and two young kids that just lost an amazing husband and father could use the financial help from the community. Jimmy's friends, colleagues, local businesses, and community members teamed up with OKM Cares inc to put on a fishing tournament to raise some funds! To be very clear, this tournament's goal is to raise funds for this family, so 100% of all proceeds will go directly to Michele West. There are no cash payouts for this tournament, but thanks to great local and national businesses, anglers will have the chance to win amazing prizes in both the tournament and raffles after the weigh-in!
To donate items for raffles or donate money to the family, please get in touch with Ozello Keys Marina at 352.228.8095, and someone will coordinate a pick-up with a member of the tournament/event to pick.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank all the businesses and individuals who have donated to make this event happen quickly! We will be listing all sponsors below soon!
Live Auction & Raffles
Over $60,000 in value of items have been donated to raffle and auction off!
Celebrity auctioneer from Storage Wars, Jerry Mahaffey teams up with Citrus County Commissioner, Jeff Kinnard and City of Inverness Council member, Gene Davis to auction off items such as but definitely not limited to; A dove hunt for 5 guests in Argentina, an African Safari Hunt for 2, custom river resin top hand made bar, fishing charters, airboat tours and so much more!
Get your raffle tickets at the locations listed below for a chance to win high-end firearms such as an FN Scar .308, Les Baer 1911 .45, and many more guns, along with amazing items donated for a great cause.
Moschello's- 3772 South Suncoast Boulevard
Moschello's II- 750 West Hapshire Boulevard
MacRae's- 5300 S Cherokee Way
Side Bar- 203 Courthouse Square
Seafood Seller- 300 SE US Hwy 19
Copp Brewery & Winery- 7855 West Gulf to Lake Highway
Family Chiropractic Center- 8375 South Suncoast Boulevard
The Loft- 10131 North Citrus Avenue
Lollygaggers Crystal River- 744 SE US Highway 19
Lollygaggers Floral City- 8370 South Florida Avenue
Ozello Keys Marina- 2355 S Ripple Path
Captains Meeting: Friday, November 25th at 6pm
Location: Both the captain's meeting and weigh-ins will be held at the Seafood Seller Parking lot west of Sonics.
300 SE US Hwy 19, Crystal River, FL 34429 (Look for the giant tents and stage).
If you can not attend the captain's meeting, please email gary@ozellokeysmarina.com. You will be asked to join the meeting virtually on Facebook live and check in with your team name in the comments of the live feed.
Tournament and event date: Saturday, November 26th 2022
Music starts at 2pm and goes on until 5pm!
Awards start at 4pm
Raffles start at 315pm
Launch Sites: There will be no dedicated launch site; anglers can leave from Citrus, Hernando, and Levy County.
Fishing Boundaries: Southern line, Hernando/Pasco Line. Northern line, Levy/Dixie.
Tournament Times: Lines in no earlier than 7am. Weigh-in opens at 1pm and closes at 3pm. Any team with a fish to weigh in has to be in line by the stage NO later than 3pm.
Entry Fee: $125 per boat, maximum of 4 anglers per boat.
Categories & Prizes
Heaviest Redfish within slot limit;
1st place $4600 value in prizes + Trophy
2nd place $1400 value in prizes + Trophy
3rd place $1000 Value in prizes + Trophy
4th place $800 Value in Prizes
5th place $350 Value in Prizes
6th place $300 Value in Prizes
7th place $240 Value in Prizes
8th place $200 Value in Prizes
9th place $200 Value in Prizes
10th place $165 Value in Prizes
Kids Division
Heaviest Redfish within slot limit;
1st place $500 value in prizes + Trophy
2nd place $400 value in prizes + Trophy
3rd place $300 Value in prizes + Trophy
Catch can be brought in dead or alive, if brought in alive, you will be issued a gift of gratitude for your participation in conservation, and the catch will be put into the CCA tanks to be released after the event.
-Only one fish from each team can be brought to weigh in and place in the tournament
*FWC Temporary Culling Permit will be issued to the teams that comply with the following rules and agree to bring fish in alive.
*We encourage bringing your redfish in alive. To do so, you must;
*Have at least an 18-gallon live well on your vessel and a proper recirculating or aerator system to ensure the safety of the fish.
*To receive a gift of gratitude for bringing fish in alive, it must be healthy and able to swim away once weighed in.
*(1) Fish must be brought to weigh in by a fish bag that has enough water to cover the top of the fish. You can borrow a fish bag from weigh-in officials near the stage.
Tie-breaker will be determined by the angler that weighed in first.
—All state laws and any regulations specific to the body of water we are fishing must be followed, including PFD, whistle, and light rules. Fishing in areas deemed off-limits or not having a valid fishing license will result in disqualification.
—Live bait and artificial are permitted.
Here is the deal, this tournament is to have the back of someone that protected ours by supporting his family while having a good time in the name of Det. Jimmy West. Please don't cheat in any manner to alter the outcome of this tournament. Plus, Sheriff Mike Prendergast is the special guest Weigh-Master so you don't want to make him mad!
Tournament Director: Gary Bartell 352.228.8095 gary@ozellokeysmarina.com